IUA announces management update

Isuzu UTE Australia (IUA) has completed a series of management changes following the departure of several key executives.

Reiko Sato (pictured above) has been appointed as a director, replacing Takuji Ozawa (pictured above), who returned to Japan to take up a new role within Mitsubishi Corporation.

A chartered certified practicing accountant, Sato holds an extensive accounting and administration background. She joined IUA in October 2021, as the Deputy Managing Director directly responsible for Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, and Administration & Human Resources. Sato replaced Takuji Ozawa, who returned to Japan to take up a new role within Mitsubishi Corporation.

Under Ozawa’s two-and-a-half-year leadership, IUA said it expanded and improved its internal operations, commissioning a heavily-renovated head office in Brisbane, Queensland and introduced new systems and procedures, improving internal processes and contributing to the company’s wider success.

After close to seven years of service at IUA, Deputy General Manager of Product Planning, Takeshi (Ima) Imanari, has returned to Japan, with Kenichi (Ken) Kudo assuming his role. An integral part of the product development of MU-X and D-MAX, Imanari contributed significantly to the constant model improvements that drove IUA’s growth over the years.

Responsible for Sales & Marketing Planning over the past five years at Isuzu Motors International Thailand (IMIT) and with an extensive background in automotive, Kudo picked up where Imanari left off, and will assume the task of developing D-MAX and MU-X to meet the needs of the ever-evolving Australian automotive market.

“This announcement will see two fundamental decision makers responsible for much of IUA’s growth over the past few years return home, to Japan, with their replacements set to bring in a fresh perspective, along with years of experience from overseas markets to help develop our operations here in Australia,” said Isuzu UTE Australia Managing Director, Hiroyasu Sato.

“We are indebted to Mr Ozawa and Mr Imanari for their service and commitment to the brand over the years and we are excited to welcome Mr. Kudo and our first female Director, Ms. Sato, to the IUA family.”